Composing device.



G. R. CORNWALL.

GOMPOSING DEVICE. APPLIUATION FILED MAR. e, 1906. RENEWED APR. 30, 1910.

Patented J an. 2, 1912.

I M I UNITED sT TEs PATENT I OFFICE.

GEORGE B. CORNWALL, OF'RYE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T AMERICAN PLANOGRAPH COMBANY, A OF WEST VIRGINIA.

COMPOSING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Jan. 2,1912.

Application illed Inch 8, 1906, Serial No. 304,457. Renewed April 30, 1910. Serial No. 8,655

Toallwhomitmycomriu j I Be it known that I, GEORGE E. CORNWALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at R e, in the county of Westchester and State 0 New York, have invented newand useful Im rovements in Composing Devices, of

which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to the printing art and more especially to the production of letter-press planographic printing plates, althou h the inventlon in some of its features, ma otherwise applicable in the art.

(g bjects of the invention are to provide a line bar or composition unit which will make a suitable impression upon a proper surface by the action of light and whlch also admits of great flexibility, latitude and rapidity in the making of corrections, modifications, transpositions and other changes such as are so frequently necessary in the preparation of letter-press matter for printing plates;

to provide such a unit which may be easily manipulated as to alinement, relative positioning and otherwise. These and other objects of invention will in part be obvious and will in part more fully appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel parts, articles, improvements and combinations herein set forth;

' The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and formin a part hereof, illustrate one embodiment o 1 the invention, with certain modified forms, the same serving in connection with the description to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawings; Figure 1 is a view of a line bar constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention; Fig. 2 is a view of a modified form; Fig. 3 is a perspective of the form shown in Fig. 1; and Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are also views of modified forms.

Theinvention comprises a line composition unit having a flexible surface, or flexible surface-carrying melnb 1', said surface havinga line of characte thereon, the characters and the surrounding surface having of characters in various ways, as may be desired, and means embodying such features are contemplated by the invention, and various forms of such means are provided and set forth herein; according to other features of the invention also, it is contemplated to have the line of characters upon thestrip in a definite relation to the line bar support in order that the line of characters on the strip maybe registered with reference to another surface by the registration of the supporting bar.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate various forms of a composition unit 1 constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention, the flexible characterearing strlp is shown as carried upon a supporting line bar, and the flexible strip and the line bar together in some senses may be regarded as the composition unit although the strip may be used without the support in certain connections. Referring, therefore, to the embodiment of the invention set forth in the accompanying drawings by way of example, a flexible strip is designated by the reference character 1. The said flexible strip carrying upon its surface a line of characters 3 is clearly shown in Fig. 3 of. the drawings, the characters of the said line 2 and the'surrounding surface 3 having separate properties with respect to the transmission of light. In Fig. 3 of the drawings the characters of the line 2 are shown as light-transmitting and the surrounding surface as light arresting.

As illustrated herein, the flexible surface 1 is shown carried upon a support 4 in the form of a line bar. According to certain features of the invention however, and in connection with certain uses to which the flexible character-bearing line composition unit might be put, other forms of support' might be utilized. As shown herein, suitable holding and tension devices are provided for detachably retaining the flexible strip 1 in position upon the bar at. In the illustrated form thereof the said devices comprise a spring-pressed jaw 5 located at firmly to position.

one, end of the bar, a retaining device 6 of any suitable form such as a pin passing through the strip 1 and into the bard at the other end, and a spring-pressed jaw 7 is also shown for holding the strip taut over the surface of the bar 4. It will be understood that the particular form of these devices is immaterial it being only essential that the flexible'stri be properly positioned upon the surface 0 the bar and then held In Fig. 1 of the drawings the line support 4 is shown with an opening 8' beneath that portion of the flexible strip 1 upon which is the line of characters so as to allowthe free access of light to both sides of the strip. In Fig. 2 of the drawings an ope 9 of somewhat different form is shown w ch is designed for receiving between the bar and strip a light-emitting device, such as-an electriclamp, or other suitable device. The surface 10 of the bar'about the opening 9 'may'constitute a reflector and may be also of a conformation such as to cause an approximately equal distribution of light over the entire extent of the line of characters carried upon the flexible stripl.

'It'may be. desirable for certain uses to have a solid surface supporting the flexible strip'throughout the-length of the line of characters and for certain other purposes to have a free space entirely about the strip throughout the extent of the line ofcharacters. Means for effecting these ends have therefore been provided by the invention and a form of such means is shown in Flg.

4 of the drawings, wherein a line bar 4 has a surface 11 movable into supporting contactwith the flexible strip 1 and movable away fromthe said strip so as to allow. a freespace aboutit throughout the lengthof the line of characters. Devices for holding .the surface 11 in either position are provided, which may be of any suitable or convenient form, and are shown herein as comprising what may be termed retracting devices for holding the-surface away from the strip and retaining devices for holding the surface to the strip. The said retractlng devices in .theillustrated form comprise pins 12 working in apertures in the bar 4 and being acted upon by springs 13 which retain the surface 11 in contact with the barthereon in an opaque medium, suc

all sides. A articular instance is where the material 'the strip 1 is light transmitting and a line of characters is im rinted as a suitable ink, or a line of characters is outlined thereon by the use of intagliated letters, the surrounding surface being then covered with an opaque ink or other suitable medium. During the imprinting o eration itis necessary or desirable that a rmsurface bein supporting contact with the strip 1 in order to secure an excellent impression. If the strip 1s to be used to impress a surface by the action of light while bein supported upon the bar it may be desira 1e to permit access of light to the rear side of the strip, which case theisurface which has been in supporting contact with the strip may be removed.

Another form of means for providing the strip 1 with a suitable surface in supporting contact therewith, which surface may be re- 'movable when desired, isshown in Fig. 5

of the drawings. In the form illustrated in Q the said figure a complementary piece 16 is shownadapted to co-act with the bar 4 the said piece 16 carrying asurface 17 which is adapted to pass into supporting contact with the strip 1 when the bar 4 and the piece 16 are brought into coiiperative relation. As

shown in'the said figure the bar 4: is adapted to be supported by the piece 16 and to be firmlv held in position thereon at which time' the surface 17 is in supporting contact with the strip 1. When it is desired to have the strip 1 free upon all sides, with this particular form, the bar 4 is removed out of cooperative relation with the piece 16 and is used alone. Suitable devices for holding the bar 4 and piece 16 in coeperative relation are provided and may be of any form that is convenient or desirable. such means shown herein comprises several spring members 18 carried upon the member 16 the operation of which will be understood from an inspection of Fig. 5' of the drawings.

It may be desirable in connection with some uses of the said composition unit to provide a surface in supporting contact with the strip 1 when the strip is receiving a line of characters by imprinting from a line of inked It-ype's and as in such case it-may be desirable and convenient that the imprinting be done by a machine, means have been provided in connection with abar-carrying carriage, adaptable for use with such a machine, for providing a piece or part upon the carriage'which. will have a surface in supporting contact with the strip 1 while the supporting bar 4 is upon the carriage. A particular form of such means is shown in Fig. 60f the drawings wherein a carriage of an imprinting machine is designated generally by the reference character 19 and is shown as traveling upon guides 20 and as be- The form of strip and line of characters has been briefly outlined above Where the line of characters is imprinted upon a transparentstrip in an opaque medium. If desired, a method may be utilized whereby the surface of the strip is sensitized with a coating carrying a silver salt or other suitable light-sensitive agent and after the strip has been imprinted, while protected from the action of light, it is subjected to the action of light with the ink thereon. The light will act upon the exposed portions and the remaining portions will be protected by the ink. The ink may then be removed and the strip developed and fixed in a well-known manner. The'line of characters will then appearcn the strip possessing opposite properties from the surrounding surface with'respect to the transmission'of light. The strip may be prepared inother ways also, which will not be set forth herein as the method of preparing the said composition unit is not the subject matter of this application. Such a composition unit is adapted to supply various needs in the printing art. One instance of the use of such a composition unit is the impressing of letter-press matter upon a suitable plate, the line bars being assembled into forms for this purpose and after all desired changes have been made by manipulation-of the bars, as by substitutions, transpositions, additions or removal thereof, in a manner which will be Well understood, to. bring the composed matter into the desired final form, the plate is subjected to the action of light beneath the form and is then prepared for printing either planogrlaphically or otherwise. Various kinds of plates are suitable for use with composition units which are effective to impress the plate by the action of light. One kind of plates is those which carry a bichromated colloidal coating, another kind is plates which have been sensitized with sensitive asphalt.

The uses of the composition unit set forth herein are merely illustrative and not restrictive in character, as the said composition unit may be put to other uses in addi- -tion to those indicated.

From all the foregoing it will be understood that a composition unit-has been provided which realizes the objects of invention and the advantages herein set forth, together with other objects and advantages.

The invention, in its -broader aspects, Is not limited to the particular constructions shown, nor to any particular constructions by which it has been or may be carried into construction without departing from the main principles of the invention and Without sacrificing its chief advantages.

What I do claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A composition unit including in combination, a flexible line strip having a line of characters, the characters and the surrounding surfaces possessing opposite properties with respect to the transmlssion of light, and means for holding said strip in extended position.

2. A composition unit including in combination a flexible line strip having a line of characters, the characters and the surrounding surfaces possessing opposite properties with respect to'the transmission of light, and a support for the said strip.

3. A composition unit including in combination a flexible line strip having a line of characters, the characters and the surrounding surfaces possessing opposite properties with respect to the transmission of light, and a support for the said strip inthe form of a line bar.

4. A composition unit including in combination a flexible line strip having a line of characters, the characters and the surrounding surfaces possessing opposite properties with respect to the transmission of light, a line bar support therefor, and means for holding the said strip in position upon the said line-bar support.

5. A composition unit including in combination a flexible line strip having a line of characters, the characters and the surrounding surfaces possessing opposite properties with respect to the transmission of light, a line bar support therefor, said line bar support being shaped to permit access of light to both sides of said strip length of the line of characters.

6. A composition unit including in combination a flexible line strip having a line of characters, thecharacters and the surround ing surfaces possessing opposite properties with respect to thetransmission of light, a

line bar support therefor, means for holding the said strip in position upon the said line bar support, and means for placing tension upon the said line strip.

7. A composition unit including in combination a flexible line strip having a line of characters, the characters and the surrounding surfaces possessing opposite properties effect, as many changes may be made in the throughout the with respect to the transmission of light, a

line bar support therefor, and a surface constructed and arranged to be moved into'supporting contact with the saidl line strip and to be moved away from supporting contact with the said line strip.

8. A composition unit including in combination a flexible line strip having a line of characters, the characters and the surrounciing surfaces possessing opposite properties with respect to the transmission. of light, a line oar support therefor, and. a surface constructed and arranged to be moveol into supporting contact with the said line strip and to be moved away from supporting contact with the saint line strip, and means for holding the said surface in either position.

9. A composition unit including in combination an element carrying a line of characters, the characters and the surrounding surface possessing opposite properties with respect to the transmlssion of light, and a supporting member movable into nncl out of supporting position with respect to the character carrying element.

. 10. A. composition unit incluoling in comloination a line strip having a line of characters, the charactersand the surrounain' surface possessing opposite properties Wit respect to the transmission of light, and means associated with the said strip hereby the composition unit is a&apteoi for use in a typographic machine. 11. The combination with a strip adted to receive a line of characters in a meiuin possessing opposite properties to the strip as regards the transmission of light, of means for supporting the strip While the'line of characters is being impressed. thereon, saiol supporting means anolstrip being relatively movable to permit the transmission of light through the strip after impression. In testimony whereof I have signed; my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

GEORGE E. CORNWALL. Witnesses:

JOHN D. llfilonema CLARA PHILLIPS. v 

